Social Work MSW – Advanced Standing

Estimated Tuition and Fees

Social Work MSW – Advanced Standing requires 36 credit hours to complete and is offered on a part-time basis only. Cost per credit hour is $643.

Total Degree Cost

$23,148 – Residents and Non-Residents

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available. Students are encouraged to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to determine their eligibility for federal and state funds as well as scholarships. WVU’s FAFSA Code is 003827.

Admissions Requirements

• Applicants who have received a BSW from a Council of Social Work Education-accredited program within the last eight years may apply for Advanced Standing. Those with a bachelor’s degree other than social work, or with a BSW degree earned more than eight years ago, should go to the Social Work MSW – Regular Standing page.
• Advanced Standing allows students with a BSW degree to move directly to the program’s advanced curriculum, waiving foundation-level courses, as well as the generalist-foundation field experience.
• A 2.75 overall GPA is required, though a 3.0 GPA is preferred
• A 3.25 or higher GPA in undergraduate social work courses is preferred
• Students with an overall GPA below 2.75 may be considered for provisional admission based on a review of the applicant’s transcript(s) and the strengths of the other elements on the application.

Admissions

Application Deadlines

Applications are accepted from February 1 to April 15 and reviewed on a rolling basis.

• February 1 is the priority deadline. Applications submitted by February 1 will be given preference for scholarships.
• April 15 is the standard deadline. All applications must be submitted by April 15 for consideration.
• June 15 is the extended deadline for Advanced Standing applicants only. If you have a bachelor’s degree in Social Work within the last 8 years you can still apply to our online program.

NOTE: International applicants living outside of the United States are not eligible to apply to the online MSW program.

Application and Application Fee

• Complete the combined WVU Graduate/School of Social Work application
• $60 application fee

Transcripts

• Submit official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate coursework to the WVU Office of Graduate Admissions at P.O. Box 6009, Morgantown, WV 26506. (*NOTE: official transcripts for applicants who attended West Virginia University will be uploaded by WVU Graduate Admissions upon submission of the graduate application).
• Unofficial transcripts can be uploaded by applicants in their application for the purposes of review for admission. However, official transcripts are required before a formal acceptance to the MSW program is offered.

Resume

• Submit a current resume including employment, volunteer experience, including start and end dates.

Letters of Recommendation

Three professional letters of recommendation are required. Contact information for these individuals should be provided within the online Graduate Application. Please submit a recommendation from each of the following categories*** (see note below):

• Academic**(see note for advanced-standing applicants below)
• Social Work/Human Service Experience (volunteer or paid)
• Employer

**It is preferred that advanced-standing applicants submit a supporting recommendation from the director of their undergraduate program. Use this as the academic reference. A recommendation from a different BSW faculty member is also acceptable.

***The recommendation suggestions above are preferable, however, for applicants that have been out of school for many years or who have been working in the field, a combination of 3 professional recommendations that address your ability to handle the rigors of graduate studies and your experience and skills in the helping field are acceptable. For students right out of undergraduate studies with little work experience; a combination of 3 professional recommendations that include 2 academic references and a social work/human service experience recommendation are appropriate. Questions? Contact us at socialwork@mail.wvu.edu.

Admission Essay

All applicants must submit an Admission Essay. Please see detailed guidelines for the essay on the WVU School of Social Work website.

Case Study

Students applying for Advanced Standing status must also complete a case study on a hypothetical practice example.

For more information, contact Master of Social Work Admissions & Recruitment at socialwork@mail.wvu.edu or phone (304) 293-3280.

Career Paths

Students who graduate from WVU Online with the Master of Social Work degree may be prepared for the following careers. These are only a few examples of some of the many opportunities that will be open to you with this degree. Advanced degrees or certifications may be required for some positions.

Information about careers on this list comes from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).